This is a list of current and former Major League Baseball mascots , sorted alphabetically.
116-615: The Pirate Parrot is a costumed mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball . He was introduced in 1979 in response to the popularity of the Phillie Phanatic introduced one year earlier, as the Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies had a fierce intrastate rivalry at the time. The character of a parrot was derived from the classic story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson , most notably
232-427: A Jolly Roger flag. The Washington Nationals have a President's Race during their games. The race debuted in 2006, and the four presidents on Mount Rushmore – George Washington ("George"), Thomas Jefferson ("Tom"), Abraham Lincoln ("Abe"), and Theodore Roosevelt ("Teddy") – have raced in every season since. In 2013, a fifth permanent contestant – William Howard Taft ("Will") – was added. A sixth contestant
348-567: A luxury box and got to meet the newly named mascot, and one of them was randomly chosen to throw out the first pitch . He has had 1,150 consecutive home-game appearances, and is one of the four subjects followed in the second season of the Hulu series Behind the Mask . He primarily wears the team's main or orange alternate jersey at home games with the team cap but has varied his clothing and accessories to mark special occasions. For example, he wore
464-530: A 2006–07 investigation produced the Mitchell Report , which found that many players had used steroids and other performance-enhancing substances , including at least one player from each team. Each team plays 162 games per season, with Opening Day traditionally held during the first week of April. Six teams in each league then advance to a four-round postseason tournament in October, culminating in
580-625: A DJ System and dancing to the music. The black and white cat wears a Tampa Bay Rays ring, wears chains, and wears his Rays hat backwards. DJ Kitty became an official mascot for the Rays in 2012. The Tampa Bay Rays' other official mascots are Raymond and Stinger. Fredbird is the official mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals . He is an anthropomorphic cardinal wearing the team's uniform. A person dressed up as Fredbird can often be found entertaining young children during baseball games at Busch Stadium . His name
696-510: A Mets cap and uniform. He can be seen at Citi Field (and previously at Shea Stadium ) during Mets home games. He also has appeared in several commercials as part of ESPN's This is SportsCenter campaign, and was selected in 2007 into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Starting in 2014, Mr. Met appeared as a sleeve patch on the Mets' blue alternate home and road jerseys. Mrs. Met (or Lady Met ) is
812-699: A Tigers hat and jersey; in previous years, Paws' jersey would have the current season's two-digit abbreviation (i.e. '10 for 2010). However, in 2011 and 2016, Paws' number changed to 00, since the Tigers retired No. 11 and No. 16 in honor of Sparky Anderson and Hal Newhouser , respectively. His dress changes during Comerica Park theme nights such as a Santa Claus outfit during "Christmas in July" night, or an Elvis Presley -inspired costume for Elvis Night. He "resides" in Comerica Park to this day. Phillie Phanatic
928-667: A batter could foul off any number of pitches with no strikes counted against him; this gave an enormous advantage to the batter. After the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, baseball was rocked by allegations of a game-fixing scheme known as the Black Sox Scandal . Eight players— "Shoeless" Joe Jackson , Eddie Cicotte , Claude "Lefty" Williams , George "Buck" Weaver , Arnold "Chick" Gandil , Fred McMullin , Charles "Swede" Risberg , and Oscar "Happy" Felsch —intentionally lost
1044-456: A broom as the field crew swept the base paths. Bernie Brewer was a fixture at Brewers home games until 1984, when the Brewers re-built the bleachers at Milwaukee County Stadium , replacing the chalet with a sound tower and sending Bernie into retirement. By popular demand, Bernie Brewer came out of his retirement in 1993, when the fans voted for his return. Bernie was brought back not as just
1160-529: A captain's hat and vest, and often waved a Jolly Roger around on a flag pole. Shortly before the Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 (see below), the Parrot was redesigned to his current appearance, gaining weight and making him more goofy-looking in order for him to appeal to children more. In addition, he dropped the traditional pirate garb in favor of wearing a Pirates jersey and backwards baseball cap. In 1995,
1276-596: A cartoon version of the bird of the same name . He was "hatched" out of a giant egg prior to the team's 1979 season opener at Memorial Stadium on April 6. According to Orioles.com, The Oriole Bird's favorite foods are "mostly bird seed, with occasional crab cake ." The Oriole Bird was named to the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2020. Paws is the mascot of the Detroit Tigers . He is a bipedal tiger who made his debut on May 5, 1995, in Tiger Stadium . He wears
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#17327835835281392-406: A chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before." With the approval of President Roosevelt, spring training began in 1942 with few repercussions. The war interrupted the careers of stars including Stan Musial , Bob Feller , Ted Williams , and Joe DiMaggio , but baseball clubs continued to field their teams. Branch Rickey, president and general manager of
1508-632: A costumed performing character in 2015. Before then, he was only used as an official logo image, and, since 1977, only appearing on special materials. Baxter the Bobcat is the mascot of the Arizona Diamondbacks . His full name is D. Baxter the Bobcat, and he became the mascot in 2000. The mascot was created by Brantley Bell, the son of Jay Bell , one of the players on the Diamondbacks 1998 inaugural season roster. Brantley came up with
1624-468: A dinosaur, specifically this type, was inspired by the discovery of some fossilized bone fragments which were found during the construction of the Rockies stadium Coors Field . The fossils included part of a rib, believed to be from a triceratops. His name "Dinger" is one of many slang terms for a home run . Dinger is often seen on the field before and after the game and roaming around the stadium during
1740-683: A floating costume to swim after Barry Bonds ' splash-hit home runs in San Francisco Bay's McCovey Cove and donned a giraffe hat in honor of Brandon Belt 's nickname "Baby Giraffe". Lou Seal also made occasional appearances at the Giants' High-A minor league team, the San Jose Giants . This practice ended in 2006 when the San Jose Giants introduced their own mascot named Gigante. In 2015, Lou Seal participated in one of
1856-692: A giveaway of masks in June 2012 proved popular, the team introduced the Luchador as a permanent character in July 2013. He wears a black cape, red pants, and a mask patterned after the team's logo. Meant to represent the team's Hispanic fans, the Luchador also wrestles with Club Deportivo Coloseo at the Glendale Park and Swap. Dinger is the official mascot of the Colorado Rockies . He is an anthropomorphic purple triceratops . The choice of
1972-506: A grand jury in Pittsburgh related to cocaine trafficking. The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike from August 12, 1994, to April 25, 1995, caused the cancellation of over 900 games and the forfeit of the entire 1994 postseason. Routinely in the late 1990s and early 2000s, baseball players hit 40 or 50 home runs in a season, a feat that was considered rare even in the 1980s. It later became apparent that at least some of this power surge
2088-506: A group of young women employed by the club who help him with his T-shirt toss and occasionally in other duties. Gapper is one of the current mascots for the Cincinnati Reds . He was first introduced as the furry companion to Mr. Red , the long-time mascot in the winter of 2002 as the franchise was preparing to move to their new home, Great American Ball Park . The mascot was created by David Raymond's Raymond Entertainment Group,
2204-592: A hug. Lou Seal became part of the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2024. The Mariner Moose is the mascot of the Seattle Mariners . In 1990, a contest for children 14 and under was held to select a mascot, after 2,500 entries the club chose the "Mariner Moose" The Moose made his debut on April 13, 1990 dancing on the field at the Kingdome . During the 1995 American League Division Series between the Mariners and
2320-607: A little better in subsequent campaigns—but in their eighth season (1969) the Mets became the first of the 1960s expansion teams to play in the postseason, culminating in a World Series title over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. In 1966, the major leagues moved to the "Deep South" when the Braves moved to Atlanta. In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics moved west to become the Oakland Athletics . In 1969,
2436-671: A man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." That year, Robinson won the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949). Less than three months later, Larry Doby became the first African-American to break the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. The next year, a number of other black players entered
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#17327835835282552-550: A mustachioed man in lederhosen , but a full-body costume of a man, including large foam head. The chalet was then rebuilt (it had been in storage on the third base side under the box seats) above the left-center field bleachers. The original beer mug that Bernie used to slide into is still in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as part of the Lakefront Brewery, Inc. tour. In 2001, Bernie moved to American Family Field , and today
2668-413: A new National Agreement which tied independent contracts to the reserve-clause contracts. The agreement also set up a formal classification system for minor leagues, the forerunner of today's system that was refined by Branch Rickey . Several other early defunct baseball leagues are considered major leagues, and their statistics and records are included with those of the two modern major leagues. In 1969,
2784-431: A one-armed outfielder, got the chance to advance to the major leagues. However, MLB rosters did not include any black players through the end of the war. Black players, many of whom served in the war, were still restricted to playing Negro league baseball . Wartime blackout restrictions , designed to keep outdoor lighting at low levels, caused another problem for baseball. These rules limited traveling and night games to
2900-550: A private life since, has shown regret for doing cocaine and sharing it with the players. Despite the scandal, the Pirates kept the Parrot, although Koch himself was fired. List of Major League Baseball mascots The tradition in the Major League Baseball mascot began with Mr. Met , introduced for the New York Mets when Shea Stadium opened in 1964. Although some mascots came and went over time,
3016-466: A promotion between innings during Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games. The contestants in this race include Jalapeño Hannah (green hat), Cheese Chester (yellow), Sauerkraut Saul (red), Oliver Onion (purple), Bacon Burt (orange), Potato Pete (blue), and Pizza Penny (Red and White checkered). The Great Pierogi Race was inspired by the Milwaukee Brewers ' Sausage Race . The Pirate Parrot is
3132-501: A rebellion by players against the hated "reserve clause", which restricted the free movement of players between clubs. Teams came and went; 1882 was the first season where the league's membership was the same as the preceding season's, and only four franchises survived to see 1900. Competitor leagues formed regularly and also disbanded regularly. The most successful was the American Association (1882–1891), sometimes called
3248-543: A single-game MLB attendance record in their first home appearance with 78,672 fans. In 1961, the first Washington Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins . Two new teams were added to the American League at the same time: the Los Angeles Angels (who soon moved from downtown L.A. to nearby Anaheim ) and a new Washington Senators franchise. The NL added
3364-540: A successful Baltimore chop, the batter hits the ball forcefully into the ground, causing it to bounce so high that the batter reaches first base before the ball can be fielded and thrown to the first baseman. The adoption of the foul strike rule—in the NL in 1901, in the AL two years later—quickly sent baseball from a high-scoring game to one where scoring runs became a struggle. Before this rule, foul balls were not counted as strikes:
3480-407: A waterboat race, which is an animated video shown on the screen, during each game. The name, picked by original team owner Wayne Huizenga , is derived from the fact that a marlin is a billfish , and Huizenga wanted a name that was different from the baseball type names of other mascots (like Slider and Sluggerrr) and one that children could remember more easily. On Mother's Day and Father's Day, Billy
3596-569: Is a bit ambiguous, he is indeed "officially" male and the person inside the costume is a man. Lou Seal is also a reference to the San Francisco Seals , the baseball club that was a mainstay of the Pacific Coast League from 1903 until 1957. In a contest held by the Giants where fans were asked for ideas, six people submitted the name "Lou Seal". These lucky fans were then invited to a game that season where they sat in
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3712-591: Is an accepted version of this page Major League Baseball ( MLB ) is a professional baseball league and the highest level of organized baseball in the United States and Canada . One of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada , MLB comprises 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in
3828-638: Is brought out on special occasions in Philadelphia, such as games on Mother's Day. Phred is a secondary mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies . He is a furry, green bi-pedal creature with an extendable tongue, who stands about half the height of his more well-known cousin, the Phillie Phanatic. Phred is used only occasionally in Philadelphia. The Pierogis are a series of seven people dressed in pierogi costumes that race in
3944-468: Is derived from "Redbird", a synonym for the cardinal bird and for the Cardinals themselves. Fredbird was introduced in 1979 by the Cardinals, then owned by Anheuser-Busch , to entertain younger fans at the games. He quickly became popular with fans for his dancing, habit of "beaking" the heads of supporters, and for throwing T-shirts into the stands. In later years, he has been joined by "Team Fredbird",
4060-570: Is joined by his parents, Bill Sr. and Betty the Marlin. Billy is also seen at games dancing with kids on the field in between innings and making special appearances in the Fan Zone. On Opening Day of 1997, the year the Marlins won their first World Series Championship, a Navy SEAL who was parachuting into Hard Rock Stadium (then known as Pro Player Stadium) as Billy, lost the head in mid-air. While
4176-434: Is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies . He is a large, furry, green bi-pedal creature with a cylindrical beak containing a tongue that sticks out. He was created by Harrison/Erickson, who thought that the team needed a mascot similar to The San Diego Chicken . The character is named for the fanatical fans of the team and, according to former team owner Bill Giles , was to bring more families to Veterans Stadium ,
4292-539: Is unique for wearing goggles with the uniform and the hat. On January 13, 2014, the Chicago Cubs announced that Clark , a "young, friendly Cub", would become the team's first official mascot in modern history. Clark was named after Clark Street , since the Cubs home field, Wrigley Field , is famously located at "Clark and Addison ". The D-backs Luchador is the second mascot of the Arizona Diamondbacks . After
4408-852: The Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Braves , the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles , and the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics . The 1958 Major League Baseball season began to turn Major League Baseball into a nationwide league. Walter O'Malley , owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and "perhaps the most influential owner of baseball's early expansion era," moved his team to Los Angeles, marking
4524-547: The Cincinnati Red Stockings , was founded in 1869. The first few decades of professional baseball saw rivalries between leagues, and players often jumped from one team or league to another. These practices were essentially ended by the National Agreement of 1903, in which AL and NL agreed to respect each other's player contracts, including the contentious reserve clause . The period before 1920
4640-596: The Great Depression , baseball's popularity had begun a downward turn in the early 1930s. By 1932, only two MLB teams turned a profit. Attendance had fallen, due at least in part to a 10% federal amusement tax added to baseball ticket prices. Baseball owners cut their rosters from 25 men to 23, and even the best players took pay cuts. Team executives were innovative in their attempts to survive, creating night games, broadcasting games live by radio, and rolling out promotions such as free admission for women. Throughout
4756-620: The Houston Astros and the New York Mets in 1962. The Astros (known as the "Colt .45s" during their first three seasons) became the first southern major league franchise since the Louisville Colonels folded in 1899 and the first franchise to be located along the Gulf Coast . The Mets established a reputation for futility by going 40–120 during their first season of play in the nation's media capital—and by playing only
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4872-611: The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP). The NABBP existed as an amateur league for 12 years. By 1867, more than 400 clubs were members. Most of the strongest clubs remained those based in the Northeastern United States. For professional baseball 's founding year, MLB uses the year 1869—when the first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings , was established. A schism developed between professional and amateur ballplayers after
4988-487: The National Basketball Association (NBA). Baseball games are broadcast on television, radio, and the internet throughout North America and in several other countries. MLB has the highest total season attendance of any sports league in the world; in 2023, it drew more than 70.75 million spectators. MLB also oversees Minor League Baseball , which comprises lower-tier teams affiliated with
5104-548: The Pittsburgh Penguins serves as one of two bird-based mascots in Pittsburgh. In May 1986 the Pirate Parrot joined in the Pittsburgh section of Hands Across America . The three Pittsburgh mascots have been known to "fight" each other. In 2008, a parody attack ad based on the then-upcoming Presidential election was made to "attack" the Parrot, due to the Pirates then-16 consecutive losing seasons while
5220-555: The Texas Rangers . In 1977, baseball expanded again , adding a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays , as well as the Seattle Mariners . Subsequently, no new teams were added until the 1990s and no teams moved until 2005. By the late 1960s, the balance between pitching and hitting had swung in favor of the pitchers. In 1968—later nicknamed "the year of the pitcher" —Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski won
5336-420: The Toronto Blue Jays . He, along with his female counterpart, "Diamond" replaced former mascot BJ Birdie before the 2002 season as a mascot duo. Like his predecessor, Ace is a large anthropomorphic blue jay . The mascot's name is baseball slang for a team's top starting pitcher (the "ace" of the staff, such as former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay ). In 2004, Ace became the sole mascot of the team after Diamond
5452-694: The World Series , a best-of-seven championship series between the two league champions first played in 1903. The New York Yankees have the most championships with 27. The reigning champions are the Los Angeles Dodgers , who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series . MLB is the third-wealthiest professional sports league by revenue in the world after the National Football League (NFL) and
5568-817: The first and second Negro National Leagues (1920–1931 and 1933–1948), the Eastern Colored League (1923–1928), the American Negro League (1929), the East–West League (1932), the Negro Southern League (1932), and the Negro American League (1937–1948). In 2021, baseball reference website Baseball-Reference.com began to include statistics from those seven leagues into their major-league statistics. In May 2024, Major League Baseball announced that it
5684-442: The "beer and whiskey league" for its tolerance of the sale of alcoholic beverages to spectators. For several years, the NL and American Association champions met in a postseason championship series—the first attempt at a World Series . The two leagues merged in 1892 as a single 12-team NL, but the NL dropped four teams after the 1899 season. This led to the formation of the American League in 1901 under AL president Ban Johnson , and
5800-541: The 1870s. In 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (later known as the National League or NL) was established after the NA proved ineffective. The league placed its emphasis on clubs rather than on players. Clubs could now enforce player contracts, preventing players from jumping to higher-paying clubs. Clubs were required to play the full schedule of games instead of forfeiting scheduled games when
5916-557: The 1960s and 1970s, as baseball expanded, NFL football had been surging in popularity, making it economical for many of these cities to build multi-purpose stadiums instead of single-purpose baseball fields. Because of climate and economic issues, many of these facilities had playing surfaces made from artificial turf , as well as the oval designs characteristic of stadiums designed to house both baseball and football. This often resulted in baseball fields with relatively more foul territory than older stadiums. These characteristics changed
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#17327835835286032-463: The 1990s. During the 1980s, baseball experienced a number of significant changes the game had not seen in years. Home runs were on the decline throughout the decade, with players hitting 40 home runs just 13 times and no one hitting more than 50 home runs in a season for the first time since the Dead-ball era (1900–1919). The 1981 Major League Baseball strike from June 12 until July 31 forced
6148-435: The American League batting title with an average of just .301, the lowest in the history of Major League Baseball. Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, making him the only pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson achieved an equally remarkable feat by allowing an ERA of just 1.12. Following these pitching performances, in December 1968
6264-420: The American and National Leagues both added two expansion franchises . The American League added the Seattle Pilots (who became the Milwaukee Brewers after one disastrous season in Seattle) and the Kansas City Royals . The NL added the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos , as well as the San Diego Padres . In 1972, the second Washington Senators moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to become
6380-409: The Brooklyn Dodgers, began making efforts to introduce a black baseball player to the previously all-white professional baseball leagues in the mid-1940s. He selected Jackie Robinson from a list of promising Negro league players. After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to any racial antagonism directed at him, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $ 600 a month. In what
6496-711: The Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning the Negro league teams that they had followed exclusively. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspaper writers and white major league players. Manager Leo Durocher informed his team, "I don't care if he is yellow or black or has stripes like a fucking zebra. I'm his manager and I say he plays." After a strike threat by some players, NL President Ford C. Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. Robinson received significant encouragement from several major-league players, including Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese who said, "You can hate
6612-409: The Dugout, and he waves the team flag after landing in the bottom platform. When American Family Insurance bought the naming rights of the stadium, the dugout became "Bernie's Chalet", which pays homage to the old Milwaukee County Stadium chalet. Billy The Marlin is the official mascot of the Miami Marlins . Resembling a marlin with limbs, he can be seen at every Marlins home game. He competes in
6728-513: The Great Depression, no MLB teams moved or folded. The onset of World War II created a shortage of professional baseball players, as more than 500 men left MLB teams to serve in the military. Many of them played on service baseball teams that entertained military personnel in the US or in the Pacific. MLB teams of this time largely consisted of young men, older players, and those with a military classification of 4F , indicating mental, physical, or moral unsuitability for service. Men like Pete Gray ,
6844-415: The MLB Playing Rules Committee voted to reduce the strike zone from knees to shoulders to top of knees to armpits and lower the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches, beginning in the 1969 season. In 1973, the American League, which had been suffering from much lower attendance than the National League, sought to increase scoring even further by initiating the designated hitter (DH) rule. Throughout
6960-599: The New York Yankees, the Moose gained national attention when he broke his ankle crashing into the outfield wall at the Kingdome while being towed on inline skates behind an ATV in the outfield. Inline skating behind an ATV would continue to be a fan favorite until 1999, when the team moved to T-Mobile Park and a natural grass playing surface. Since then, the Moose has become quite adept at driving his own ATV around T-Mobile Park's warning track while performing various tricks and having water coolers emptied on him by bullpen pitchers. The Moose makes several hundred appearances in
7076-404: The Parrot was briefly paired with a secondary mascot, the Buccaneer , who was quickly dropped. The Parrot has become a staple within the Pittsburgh region, often appearing at events and Pirates team functions. He often appears in ads for the team on television. He has been embraced more in Pittsburgh among older fans than Steely McBeam of the Pittsburgh Steelers , and along with Iceburgh of
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#17327835835287192-475: The Parrot's biography on the Pirates official website, the Parrot hopes to eventually be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame . As of 2015, he has yet to be listed as a candidate, much less inducted. Kevin Koch, the original portrayer of the Pirate Parrot, was later discovered to be high from cocaine during several games as the Pirate Parrot. He was also found to be the "middle man" between players and drug dealers, introducing them to cocaine. Koch, who has lived
7308-416: The Penguins went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings earlier in the year. (The Pens would win the Stanley Cup the following year .) The following year, all three mascots took part in a groundbreaking of an expansion of the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, with Steely McBeam tossing dirt at the Parrot's feet. In some cases, the Parrot has accompanied the Pirates on road trips if
7424-410: The Phillies' ballpark at the time, which had become noted for rowdiness and even violence at times. He can be seen riding around on an ATV at home games. In 2008, Forbes named the Phanatic the best mascot in sports. Phoebe Phanatic is the mother of the Phillie Phanatic, the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies . She is a large, furry, green bi-pedal creature with an extendable tongue. Phoebe
7540-415: The San Diego Chicken, the Phillie Phanatic, Mr. Met, the Oriole Bird, Slider (Cleveland Guardians), Southpaw (Chicago White Sox), and most recently, Orbit (Houston Astros) – have been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame . Several others have been nominated since the Hall's creation in 2005. Mascots in MLB are often used to help market the team and league to young children. Ace is the official mascot of
7656-607: The Special Baseball Records Committee of Major League Baseball officially recognized six major leagues: the National League, American League, American Association, Union Association (1884), Players' League (1890), and Federal League (1914–1915). The status of the National Association as a major league has been a point of dispute among baseball researchers; while its statistics are not recognized by Major League Baseball, its statistics are included with those of other major leagues by some baseball reference websites, such as Retrosheet . Some researchers, including Nate Silver , dispute
7772-448: The United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB the oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the commissioner of baseball . MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . Baseball's first all-professional team,
7888-417: The University of Miami mascots, Sebastian the Ibis and The Miami Maniac from 1983 to 1993, and prior to that, Cocky for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. Since opening day 2018, Blooper has served as the current official mascot of the Atlanta Braves . He, too, has a Twitter account and is present in community events in the Atlanta area and around all of Georgia. Usually wearing a Braves jersey, he
8004-486: The World Series in exchange for a ring worth $ 100,000 ($ 1,712,780.35 in 2022 dollars). Despite being acquitted, all were permanently banned from Major League Baseball. Baseball's popularity increased in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1920 season was notable for the death of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians . Chapman, who was struck in the head by a pitch and died a few hours later, became the only MLB player to die of an on-field injury. Both leagues quickly began to require
8120-474: The cancellation of 713 total games and resulted in a split-season format. In 1985, Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb 's all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, and in 1989 Rose received a lifetime ban from baseball as a result of betting on baseball games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds . Rose was the first person to receive a lifetime ban from baseball since 1943. 1985 also saw the Pittsburgh drug trials which involved players who were called to testify before
8236-403: The center field fence, and the Huntington Avenue Grounds of the Boston Red Sox , which was 635 feet (194 m) to the center field fence, thus home runs were rare, and "small ball" tactics such as singles , bunts , stolen bases , and the hit-and-run play dominated the strategies of the time. Hitting methods like the Baltimore chop were used to increase the number of infield singles. On
8352-560: The club was no longer in the running for the league championship, which happened frequently under the NA. A concerted effort was made to curb gambling on games, which was leaving the validity of results in doubt. The first game in the NL—on Saturday, April 22, 1876 (at Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia )—is often pointed to as the beginning of MLB. The early years of the NL were tumultuous, with threats from rival leagues and
8468-492: The community each year in addition to Mariners home games, at everything from hospitals to wedding receptions. The Mariner Moose was featured on the ballot for the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2007. He also nearly ran over Coco Crisp with his ATV in 2007, raising the ire of Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell . Mr. Met is the official mascot of the New York Mets . He is a baseball -headed humanoid being who wears
8584-573: The condition of the baseball itself. The baseball used American rather than the modern Australian wool yarn and was not wound as tightly, affecting the distance that it would travel. More significantly, balls were kept in play until they were mangled, soft and sometimes lopsided. During this era, a baseball cost three dollars, equal to $ 52.72 today (in inflation-adjusted USD ), and owners were reluctant to purchase new balls. Fans were expected to throw back fouls and (rare) home runs. Baseballs also became stained with tobacco juice, grass, and mud, and sometimes
8700-406: The crowd was unaware of the problem, media outlets had been alerted to Billy's parachute entrance. When he did not arrive, the media ran with the story, getting national attention and leading to ESPN's Dan Patrick's nightly quote, "Bring me the head of Billy the Marlin!" The original Billy The Marlin was John Routh, who spent 10 years (1993–2002) entertaining Marlins fans. Routh previously portrayed
8816-532: The decade following the Black Sox Scandal, and unlike major leagues in other sports it endured the Great Depression and World War II without any of its teams folding. Shortly after the war, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier . Some teams moved to different cities in the 1950s and 1960s. The AL and NL added eight clubs in the 1960s: two in 1961, two in 1962, and four in 1969. Player discontent with established labor practices, especially
8932-493: The female version of Mr. Met, the mascot of the New York Mets. She is a baseball-headed humanoid being, has brown hair in a ponytail and wears a Mets cap and uniform. Mrs. Met first appeared at games in 1975 before disappearing into obscurity. She appeared with Mr. Met in a 2003 " This is SportsCenter " commercial. The Mets reintroduced Mrs. Met in mascot form in 2013. Her first name is Jan. Mr. Red (or The Running Man)
9048-458: The fence). According to a recent Cincinnati.com poll of the Red's four mascots, he is the least popular amongst fans. He received 6% of the voting, Mr. Red received 23%, Rosie Red received 34%, and Mr. Redlegs received 47%. Like his fellow mascots he wears a Reds jersey, but with a backwards cap. Junior is the younger brother of Ace. He made his mascot debut in 2011. He is half the size of Ace and wears
9164-591: The first major league franchise on the West Coast. O'Malley also helped persuade the rival New York Giants to move west to become the San Francisco Giants. Giants owner Horace Stoneham had been contemplating a move to Minnesota amid slumping attendance at the aging Polo Grounds ballpark when O'Malley invited him to meet San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in New York. After Stoneham
9280-460: The founder being the man inside the Phillie Phanatic costume from 1973 to 1993. A young fan won two season tickets for submitting the winning name; he is named after the "gap" in the stands in the seats of Great American, which provides a view into and out of the stadium. The term "gapper" is also a slang phrase for a batted ball which falls into the "gap" between outfielders (generally a ball hit to either left-center or right-center field which rolls to
9396-585: The founding of the Cincinnati club. The NABBP split into an amateur organization and a professional organization. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , often known as the National Association (NA), was formed in 1871. Its amateur counterpart disappeared after only a few years. The modern Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves franchises trace their histories back to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in
9512-748: The game is in close proximity to Pittsburgh. For instance, the Parrot appeared at two games for the Pirates during a weekend interleague series against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland in 2012, with the Parrot having friendly interactions with the Indians mascot, Slider , and even assisting Slider in interfering with the Indians Hot Dog Race, much like what the Parrot does with the Great Pierogi Race. According to
9628-501: The game. When Rockies hitters are at bat in the late innings of a game, he often dances in the seats immediately behind home plate in an effort to distract opposing pitchers, sitting down only immediately before the beginning motion of each pitch. Dinger works year-round promoting physical fitness and literacy for thousands of elementary school students in the Rocky Mountain Region. He acts out his own Dinger Story for
9744-429: The hole " between the corner and middle infielders. Starting pitchers were no longer expected to throw complete games ; it was enough for a starter to pitch 6–7 innings and turn the game over to the team's closer , a position which grew in importance over these decades. As stolen bases increased, home run totals dropped. After Willie Mays hit 52 home runs in 1965, only one player ( George Foster ) reached that mark until
9860-468: The juice of licorice, which some players would chew for the purpose of discoloring the ball. Also, pitchers could manipulate the ball through the use of the spitball (In 1921, use of this pitch was restricted to a few pitchers with a grandfather clause ). Additionally, many ballparks had large dimensions, such as the West Side Grounds of the Chicago Cubs, which was 560 feet (170 m) to
9976-610: The kids. He also makes appearances at Children's Hospital Colorado and Denver Health. He makes appearances at Rockies events including the 5K Home Run, and the Rockies Rookies Kids Fan Club. He is a purple dinosaur with a Rockies jersey on with black sneakers and a Rockies cap. DJ Kitty is one of three mascots for the Tampa Bay Rays . DJ Kitty comes from the Internet sensation of a kitty playing
10092-609: The large, baseball-shaped head to fall off of the Mr. Redlegs costume, exposing the head of the person inside the costume. He was seen a few days later wearing a neck brace as a joke. Unlike Mr. Red, he wears a kepi. Orbit is the mascot of the Houston Astros. Orbit represents a green space alien with antennae, in keeping with the Space City theme of the city of Houston. Originally serving as team mascot from 1990 until 1999, he
10208-620: The major league clubs, and the MLB Draft League , a hybrid amateur-professional showcase league. MLB and the World Baseball Softball Confederation jointly manage the international World Baseball Classic tournament. In the 1860s, aided by soldiers playing the game in camp during the Civil War , "New York"-style baseball expanded into a national game and spawned baseball's first governing body,
10324-603: The major leagues. Satchel Paige was signed by the Indians and the Dodgers added star catcher Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe , who was later the first winner of the Cy Young Award for his outstanding pitching. MLB banned the signing of women to contracts in 1952, but that ban was lifted in 1992. There have been no female MLB players since then. From 1903 to 1952, the major leagues consisted of two eight-team leagues whose 16 teams were located in ten cities, all in
10440-572: The major-league status of the Union Association by pointing out that franchises came and went and that the St. Louis club was deliberately "stacked"; the St. Louis club was owned by the league's president and it was the only club that was close to major-league caliber. In December 2020, Major League Baseball announced its recognition of seven leagues within Negro league baseball as major leagues:
10556-560: The mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates, debuting in 1979. He is a large green parrot who wears a Pirates jersey and cap. The character of a parrot was derived from the classic story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson , most notably the one owned by Long John Silver named " Captain Flint ". He is often seen dancing on the dugouts and shooting hot-dogs from a cannon, during team home wins he can be seen celebrating waving
10672-605: The most memorable and elaborate events staged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation . As part of the finale to a daylong event in San Francisco surrounding " Batkid " Miles Scott in 2015, Lou Seal was kidnapped by The Penguin and taken to the Giants' stadium, pursued by Batkid and Batman . After completing an obstacle course, Batman captured the Penguin while Batkid freed a grateful Lou Seal, who thanked him with
10788-538: The name from two sources. "D. Baxter" comes from the team's nickname, "the D-Backs". The bobcat is from the original name of the stadium where the Diamondbacks play. Today called Chase Field , it was once called Bank One Ballpark, or informally as "BOB" for short. The bobcat is a wild cat native to Arizona. Bernie Brewer is the official mascot for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Bernie Brewer character became
10904-471: The nature of professional baseball, putting a higher premium on speed and defense over home-run hitting power since the fields were often too big for teams to expect to hit many home runs and foul balls hit in the air could more easily be caught for outs. Teams began to be built around pitching—particularly their bullpens—and speed on the basepaths. Artificial surfaces meant balls traveled quicker and bounced higher, so it became easier to hit ground balls " in
11020-527: The northeastern and mid-western United States: New York City had three teams and Boston , Chicago, Philadelphia , and St. Louis each had two teams. St. Louis was the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league team. The longest possible road trip, from Boston to St. Louis, took about 24 hours by railroad. After a half-century of stability, starting in the 1950s, teams began to move out of cities with multiple teams into cities that had not had them before. From 1953 to 1955, three teams moved to new cities:
11136-472: The number 1/2. He only appears on Jr. Jays Sundays (formerly on Saturdays, prior to the 2018 season). Lou Seal is the official mascot of the San Francisco Giants . "Born" on July 25, 1996, Luigi Francisco Seal has been a regular part of all Giants home games, as well as numerous events in San Francisco and around the United States, ever since. Although his name (a play on the name "Lucille")
11252-422: The old chalet has become known as "Bernie's Dugout", stationed above the left field bleachers, where he cheers on for the team during home games. Currently he slides down a plastic yellow slide, no longer into a vat of beer but onto a platform in the shape of home plate when a Brewer hits a home run, while a sign tower with Bob Uecker's trademark home run call ("Get up, get up, get outta here, GONE!!") lights up above
11368-461: The one owned by Long John Silver named " Captain Flint ". The Parrot debuted on April Fools' Day , 1979 when he "hatched" at Three Rivers Stadium . That year , the " We Are Family " Bucs went on to win the World Series , with the Parrot serving as somewhat of a cheerleader to the crowd along the way. His initial appearance bore more resemblance to The San Diego Chicken , being thinner and "meaner". He wore more pirate -related items such as
11484-546: The order in which they held the office (George – 1; Tom – 3; Abe – 16; Teddy – 26; Bill – 27; Cal – 30; Herbie – 31). The Racing Presidents became an instant success upon their 2006 debut and make multiple public appearances every year. Notably, Abraham Lincoln appeared on the Illinois float for President Barack Obama 's first inauguration parade on January 20, 2009. A running gag with the Racing presidents from 2006 to 2012
11600-519: The point that the 1942 season was nearly canceled. On January 14, 1942, MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , pleading for the continuation of baseball during the war. Roosevelt responded, "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means that they ought to have
11716-541: The popularity of mascots increased when the San Diego Chicken started independently making appearances at San Diego Padres games in 1977. Philadelphia Phillies management felt they needed a mascot similar to the Chicken, so they debuted the Phillie Phanatic in 1978. All but three major-league teams have "official" mascots (Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels). Seven team mascots – Sluggerrr (Kansas City Royals),
11832-542: The reserve clause, led to the organization of the Major League Baseball Players Association to collectively bargain with the owners, which in turn led to the introduction of free agency in baseball. Modern stadiums with artificial turf surfaces began to change the game in the 1970s and 1980s. Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s. In the mid-2000s, media reports disclosed the use of anabolic steroids among MLB players;
11948-533: The resulting bidding war for players led to widespread contract-breaking and legal disputes. The war between the AL and NL caused shock waves throughout the baseball world. At a meeting at the Leland Hotel in Chicago in 1901, the other baseball leagues negotiated a plan to maintain their independence. A new National Association was formed to oversee these minor leagues. After 1902, the NL, AL, and NA signed
12064-440: The team's mascot in 1973, appearing as a cheerful man with a big mustache . A beer-barreled chalet was built for him inside the stadium where he led the crowd cheering. Following each home run and every victory by the Brewers, he would slide down and plunge himself into a huge beer mug in celebration. He was joined by a companion Bonnie Brewer , who would playfully swat at the backside of the opposing team's third base coach with
12180-454: The use of new, white baseballs whenever a ball became scuffed or dirty, helping bring the "dead-ball" era to an end. The following year, the New York Yankees made their first World Series appearance. By the end of the 1930s, the team had appeared in 11 World Series, winning eight of them. Yankees slugger Babe Ruth had set the single-season home run record in 1927, hitting 60 home runs; breaking his own record of 29 home runs. Afflicted by
12296-399: Was "absorbing the available Negro Leagues numbers into the official historical record." The period between 1900 and 1919 is commonly referred to as the "dead-ball era". Games of this era tended to be low-scoring and were often dominated by pitchers, such as Walter Johnson , Cy Young , Christy Mathewson , Mordecai Brown , and Grover Cleveland Alexander . The term also accurately describes
12412-589: Was added in 2015 as part of a three-year marketing deal with the White House Historical Association , with the sixth slot changing annually based on the president featured by the association on its annual Christmas ornament. Calvin Coolidge ("Cal") was the first to fill the sixth slot, making his debut in July 2015. Herbert Hoover ("Herbie") replaced Coolidge for 2016. Each president has a uniform number corresponding to his place in
12528-583: Was eliminated from the home uniform. He was moved to the left breast of the road uniform, and remained there for one season before being eliminated. In 1999, the Reds re-designed their uniform and "Mr. Red" was reintroduced as a sleeve patch on the undershirt. A human version of the mascot did not appear until the early 1980s. The costumed mascot disappeared in the late 1980s but was reintroduced in 1997. The humanoid Mr. Red retired in 2007 leaving Gapper, Rosie Red and Mr. Redlegs to take his place. A new version of Mr. Red
12644-619: Was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, joining the Dodgers' farm club, the Montreal Royals , for the 1946 season. The following year, the Dodgers called up Robinson to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Black baseball fans began flocking to see
12760-449: Was persuaded to move to California, Time magazine put O'Malley on its cover. MLB Commissioner Ford C. Frick had opposed the meeting, but the dual moves proved successful for both franchises—and for MLB. Had the Dodgers moved out west alone, the St. Louis Cardinals —1,600 mi (2,575 km) away —would have been the closest NL team. Instead, the joint move made West Coast road trips economical for visiting teams. The Dodgers set
12876-546: Was removed by the Blue Jays prior to the start of the season. In 2011, Blue Jays fans were introduced to his younger brother Junior (see below). Barrelman (aka "Owgust" and "Beer Barrel Man"), is an auxiliary mascot for the Milwaukee Brewers . He originated from a logo used by the original minor league Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association from the 1940s to 1952. He was resurrected and upgraded to be
12992-526: Was replaced by a new mascot, Junction Jack. To coincide with the Astros' move to the American League West and unveiling of their new uniforms, caps, and logo, Orbit was reintroduced on November 2, 2012, to serve as the Astros' mascot once more for 2013 and beyond. Orbit was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2024. The Oriole Bird is the official mascot of the Baltimore Orioles and is
13108-606: Was that Teddy could never win a race, although he came close in 2012, after apparently defeating the other three presidents: While he was " Tebowing " near the finish line, George drove up in a car and whacked him in the back of the head with a baseball bat, knocking him out before he could finish the race. In October 2012, however, just before the regular season ended and shortly before the Nationals' first postseason run began, Teddy finally won his first race, and he then went on to win four straight. Major League Baseball This
13224-412: Was the dead-ball era , when home runs were rarely hit. Professional baseball was rocked by the Black Sox Scandal , a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series . Baseball survived the scandal, albeit with major changes in its governance as the relatively weak National Commission was replaced with a powerful commissioner of baseball with near-unlimited authority over the sport. MLB rose in popularity in
13340-478: Was the first mascot of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. He is a humanoid figure dressed in a Reds uniform, with an oversized baseball for a head. Mr. Red made his first appearance on a Reds uniform as a sleeve patch in 1955. The patch featured Mr. Red's head, clad in an old-fashioned white pillbox baseball cap with red stripes. The following season, 1956, saw the Reds adopt sleeveless jerseys, and Mr. Red
13456-507: Was unveiled at Redsfest 2012; the new mascot will be on the field with Mr. Redlegs, Gapper and Rosie Red. Mr. Redlegs is a mascot of the Cincinnati Reds. He was reintroduced in 2007 to play a supporting role, along with Mr. Red. Mr. Redlegs appeared as a patch on the Reds' uniforms for two seasons in the 1950s (the team briefly assumed the nickname as a response to the second red scare ). In 2008, Mr. Redlegs gained national notoriety by falling off of an ATV during pre-game antics. This caused
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